It says everything about Evan Ferguson's temperament that he, the 18-year-old at the eye of the storm, was the voice of calm after the Republic of Ireland's 3-2 win against Latvia on Wednesday night.
Ferguson has exploded at Brighton and Hove Albion over the last three months, scoring goals and making waves in the Premier League in a fashion that's turned heads everywhere.
Stephen Kenny gave him fist first Ireland start for the friendly with the Latvians, a warm-up for Monday's huge Euro qualifier against France. His faith was rewarded, as Ferguson bagged a goal and generally offered more evidence of his enormous potential.
And yet, the man himself was a picture of calm afterwards.
"It's all just talk isn't it... people getting excited and stuff," he told RTÉ Sport when asked how he'd coped with the hype in the build-up.
"It doesn't really bother me. At the end of the day, it's just a game of football."
The teenager admitted his progress this year has been a whirlwind, one that's swept him up and left little time for reflection.
"It's just gone so quick. There's no breaks, no time to sit back and think about what I'm doing. It's just week by week there's another game. I'm just trying to concentrate on the next [one].
"It was obviously an unbelievable feeling yesterday, seeing I was getting a start. I was just trying to get in, get the tactics right, try to get myself prepared for the game, but always as a striker, on my mind, I wanted to get a goal.
"First half we played well in general. We were unlucky to go in at two-all, I think that's disappointing. For my goal it was more instinct... try stay alive and hope the ball bounces for you."
The big question now is whether he will start against France. It would be a big surprise if Kenny holds him back, but Ferguson is staying grounded.
"Hopefully, we'll see," he added. "It's [Kenny's choice], he's going to pick whoever he thinks is right. We'll have to wait and see.
"You should enjoy the bigger games. It'll [show] where we're at as a squad and individuals."
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